Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer didn’t hide how difficult the last two days of roster cuts were for him. Speaking to reporters in a press conference held at the Dallas Cowboys’ team headquarters and practice facility, Schottenheimer opened by addressing the toll it took.

“I’m just going to start with this. Really emotional last 48 hours or so. The human element is real. The conversations are real,” Schottenheimer said during the press conference.

In a surprising move, the Cowboys moved on from running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah during their initial cutdown, leaving additional work to do behind starter Javonte Williams. Schottenheimer also told them that they probably wouldn’t return to the practice squad. To fill that vacancy, the team signed Emari Demercado, who brought three seasons of NFL experience from his time with Arizona and became the latest addition to that room.

Schottenheimer also made clear that the players who were let go were not simply names being erased from a depth chart. That decision was part of a much bigger round of difficult calls for Dallas, with several players seeing their time with the team end during the roster cuts.

“We’re trying to build a roster that can handle the strain of 17 regular-season games, the grind of the playoffs into the Super Bowl. And you know, the roster is always fluid,” Schottenheimer said.

Hours after the press conference, the Cowboys also announced they had waived quarterback Joe Milton in a corresponding move to Demercado’s signing. That was a surprise because Milton was a preseason standout and was included in the initial 53-man roster on Sunday.

But coming back to the RB cuts that eventually led to this move, Jaydon Blue’s future is reportedly secure elsewhere. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Blue is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. However, there is no update yet on Phil Mafah’s future.

But be it the RBs or a QB, Schottenheimer was equally affected by the tough cuts he had to make to satisfy the broader organizational vision.

“We let some really incredible young men and really good football players out the door, and I am indebted to them for how hard they’ve worked and how much they bought into our culture and what we are building,” Schottenheimer added. “I feel like we tried to leave them with a lot of feedback and most certainly how much we respect them, love them, and want to see them do well as they start a different journey.”

The Cowboys’ roster is not necessarily finished changing, either. The initial 53-man roster is only the starting point, with practice-squad construction and additional personnel moves still possible before the regular-season opener.

While Mafah is not expected to return to the practice squad, Milton’s path forward could be through there if he clears waivers unclaimed.